Forbidden
by evilteddybear408
Summary: (AU. After the events of KA.) A knight. A queen. A forbidden love. A betrayal. (LGu) UPDATED!
1. The dinner

**A/N:** _Okay, so on July 7, Jen and I saw King Arthur in theaters. That movie kicks ass! I saw it because I was bred on King Arthur tales, because Keira Knightly was in it and because I had read the Mists of Avalon and I loved it! Jen saw it because she had nothing better to do than go to the movies with her dear pal, Liz. :P So, after watching it, I had FAR more respect for Guinevere (cuz of Kiera's KICK ASS performance) and I LOVED the Gwen/Lancelot undertones. When he looks at her and when he saves her in the battle. sighs and melts away LOL. This was me and Jen's reactions when he dies:_

LANCELOT: runs and saves Gwen from the Queen of the Stone Age (LOL. Inside joke)

LIZ: Yeah! Go Lancelot! Save Gwen's ass and carry her off to Avalon!

JEN: stares

LANCELOT is shot

JEN: WHAT? He was by FAR the hottest! Why must he die?

LIZ: It's okay. He won't die. Remember, the hero NEVER dies?

JEN: Liz, does the word 'Old Yeller' mean anything to you?

LIZ: Shut up.

LANCELOT: falls and dies

LIZ and JEN: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

_So, basically, we were pissed off that Lancelot the hottie snuffs it. Boo hoo. So, we wrote this fic. It's an AU Lancelot/Gwen fic that takes place after KA. Enjoy…_

**Title:** _Forbidden_

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**Genre:** _Romance/Angst_

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**Rating:** PG-13

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**Pairing:** _ Lancelot/Guinevere _

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**Summary:** _AU. Lancelot loved Guinevere since he laid his eyes on her. Guinevere returns his love. However, she is married to the High King and can't do anything about Lancelot. Yet, they act upon their feelings. What will happen if Arthur finds out about the two people he cares for most in the world? It's a risk that Lancelot and Guinevere will take to be with each other. (AU. Lancelot/Guinevere) _

**Dedication:** _LOL, to_** JEN**_ for coming to see the movie with me when we had nothing better to do! To _**KIMCO**_, because we are supermodels! They do it good, we do it better! Luv you lots _**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

It had been five days since the battle at Badon Hill. All of the knights were sitting at the Round Table. Next to King Arthur sat Queen Guinevere. Next to her sat Galahad; they were deep in animated conversation. Everyone was laughing and talking with the people around them, waiting for the food to arrive.

Lancelot allowed his eyes to drift towards Guinevere. She was looking wonderful tonight. She was clad in a simple white dress and her long, black hair was loose and tumbled down her back. Her eyes were sparkling and laughing as she and Galahad chatted away. On the outside, it would have looked like Lancelot was merely tired. He was not speaking much, which was odd, seeing as he was one of the loudest knights, save for Bors.

But on the inside, he was a little messier. Guinevere was looking lovely and she was seated between the handsome Galahad and her husband. _Husband. _Oh, how Lancelot loathed that word, especially now. He was never going to be anyone's husband. Not the bar wenches that he bedded, not a milkmaid's, nor a lady of high value. Not Guinevere's. Especially not Guinevere's. He was not but a mere knight and Guinevere was the High Queen, wife of King Arthur.

Peals of laughter interrupted his thoughts. Guinevere was chortling at something Galahad said. She tossed back her ebony hair and her dark eyes sparkled. Lancelot felt a pang of jealousy wretch his stomach. He had always liked Galahad, but now he wanted to heave the young man across the room. How could he make the serious queen laugh so? And then, to add to Lancelot's jealousy, Arthur leaned over and whispered something to his wife. _Bloody hell! Is everyone out to get me? I know, I am thinking of a married woman, but leave me be! _ Luckily, their food arrived and there was less talk.

Guinevere gazed at Lancelot, absorbing his striking face, dark eyes and shadowy hair. _He is so perfect…_ She mused, silently. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and ate her stew in silence, thinking of the knight so near to her, yet he was out of her reach. And then her thoughts turned to the king separating them, both physically and figuratively. She shook her head. _It is a sin to think of him, Gwen. You are wedded to the High King of __Britain__. Do not throw that all away! _Then she thought of the real reason she married Arthur.

It was Merlin's doing. "Guinevere, he is a skilled fighter and leader. You should wed him. If you do, it will unite our people. Do this, Guinevere, and the Romans will be our allies." She recalled how angry she was. How dare he tell her who to marry! Why would she want to marry Arthur when there was Lancelot so near? Yet, she understood what Merlin said. _Unite us, Guinevere, and we will be allies with __Rome__._ So, Guinevere seduced Arthur and they were wedded. The Woads formed an allegiance with the Romans and all seemed well in Britain. Oh yes, there were still Saxons about, but they had lost their leader and the better part of their army. In fact, in a few days, Arthur and his knights were going to leave to uproot a small band of Saxons a little north of Badon Hill. Guinevere was going to go with them, of course. Arthur knew of her great skill, and would never leave her behind

_I hope we all survive. Even though the Saxons are weaker, they have a strong anger._

"Milady? Are you alright?" It was Galahad. His kind face was anxious and his brow creased with worry. "You look troubled."

"Oh no, I was just thinking about the battles we'll have to fight."

"Don't trouble yourself, milady. The Saxons are considerably weak now. Besides, tonight is a night of happiness, not sorrow." Guinevere smiled and bowed her head.

"Thank you, Galahad." She went back to eating.

"And yet, it is not happiness and comfort you seek, is it, my queen?" He inquired.

She gazed at him. "Do you know what I seek, Sir?"

He nodded. "You seek love, my lady." He lowered his voice. "You wish to be loved by another, yet you know that it is forbidden."

Guinevere was shocked. "And how did you know this, Galahad?"

"I see the way you look at him, Guinevere, and he at you. I may be young, but I know of love, and I am not a fool." He smiled at her, and she beamed at him.

"I realize that you are not a fool, Galahad. Indeed, you are wiser than many here, as you see the truth."

__

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	2. The plan

            Lancelot could see the way Galahad and Guinevere were looking at each other. _She loves him. And why shouldn't she? He is young, attractive and witty. I'm an old, ugly and grim knight._ He returned to his food, disgusted with himself. _Why am I pining for a woman? I have a duty, a duty to Arthur. I need to focus._ But all he focused on was the queen.

            "Oh, Galahad, what am I going to do?" Guinevere whispered. "I want to be alone with him for a few moments."

Galahad chuckled. "Don't worry, Gwen. I'll take care of it. Now, don't you need some fresh air?"

"What… no, Galahad. Why would I need fresh air? It's cold outside."

"No, Gwen, listen… don't you want to take a walk in the garden?" He raised an eyebrow. Guinevere understood.

"Oh, yes… I would like some air, actually. Thank you for suggesting it."  She winked at him and turned to her husband. "Arthur, I am going to go on a walk in the garden. I won't be long." Arthur nodded at her.

"Be back soon, Guinevere. It's getting late."

"I will, Arthur. I'll be but a minute." She smiled at Galahad as she walked away.

            A few moments after she left, Galahad stood and went to Lancelot. The dark haired knight was still deep in thought, his mind racing with images of Guinevere, Arthur and Galahad. He was still reminiscing on the battle at Badon Hill when he almost lost his life to save Guinevere, when a voice whispered in his ear, "Lancelot… Lancelot… HEY! LANCELOT!" _Whack!_ Galahad had yelled out Lancelot's name, right before he hit him on the back. Hard.  Lancelot whirled around and threw a punch at his attacker.

            All of the knights fell over laughing. But none as hard as Galahad, who was crying tears of mirth. "Oh… my GOD, Lanc-Lan-Lancelot! You shou-should have se-seen your face!"

Gawain joined in. "What's the matter, Lancelot? Seen a bloody ghost?"

"Great defense trick, Lance! Can you show it to me?" Bors crowed. Lancelot fumed silently.

"Galahad, is there a reason that you needed to beat me, other than for a laugh?"

Galahad wiped his eyes with a finger. "Sorry, Lance. You were spacing off a little; I needed to wake you."

"Ah. Thank you, for doing me such a kind favor. I'll be sure to return it someday."

            "And, Lancelot, I was wondering if you'd fancy a walk with me?" Leaning in so no one but Lancelot could hear, he whispered, "Guinevere's already there." His friend raised an eyebrow. _Does he know? Damned Galahad always knows everything. _The younger knight grinned. "Come on, Lancelot. Your lady awaits you!"

            Unfortunately, he said it loud enough for the entire table to hear. "Oh, so you've got a _lady_ friend, huh, Lancelot?" "Who is she?" "Is she a lady or a servant?" "Giving up on bedding everything in a skirt now, haven't you?" "Are you going to commit yourself?"

"Come on, Galahad. Let's get the hell out of here." Lancelot grumbled. He doubted Galahad heard him. He was laughing again.


	3. The Garden

**Disclaimer:** _All of the 'King Arthur' characters belong to Touchstone Pictures. The song is "If it Ain't you Baby" which belongs to Alicia Keyes._

Guinevere sat down in her favorite spot in the garden. It was a stone bench underneath an arch surrounded by bushes. She gave a small shiver. _Damn, why didn't I bring a cloak?_ She cursed herself. _Galahad, get here quick, before I freeze to death._ As if Galahad heard her thoughts, two men walked through the bushes. "My lady, your knight has come!" Galahad whispered. Guinevere rolled her eyes at him. "I have to go back now. Arthur wants me to help him with something." Galahad said.

"What about Lancelot?" The other knight was hiding in the shadows behind Galahad. At the queen's question, Galahad burst into a fit of laughter. Of course, Guinevere didn't know about Lancelot's "lover." "Don't worry, milady." And with that, he disappeared.

When Lancelot saw his Queen sitting under the arch, his stomach gave a small dip and his heart skipped a beat. Guinevere looked so lovely, like a fairy queen in the stories his mother told him and his sister. "There she is, Lance, your lover, your passion, your fire!" Galahad whispered.

"Galahad, I'm not a woman. I don't want poetry."

"Aye, I'll agree that you're no woman. They smell better. But what I said is true, isn't it?"

Lancelot knew it was true. All of it. He slept with many women, but Guinevere was so… unique. She was like Arthur's sister, Morgaine. Morgaine was different, but in a good way. Guinevere was the same. All the barmaids were common and dull compared to her.

Lancelot stayed half hidden in the shadows while Galahad talked with Guinevere. As the younger man walked away, he whispered, "Good luck, Lancelot." And Lancelot was left alone with Guinevere. It would have been so much easier if he knew that she felt the same way about him. He stood there for a moment staring at her. He was lost in her eyes.

Guinevere waited patiently for him to say something. She smiled at him, and for some reason, he blushed. She frowned, puzzled. "Lancelot?" She asked, quietly.

He jumped a little and shook his head. "Sorry," he said, and grinned. "Would you like to walk now?"

She smiled a little. "I would like that very much."

They wandered around the courtyard together, talking about everything. Every now and then, Lancelot saw Guinevere shiver. "Milady… do you want my jacket?" He pulled it off. Hesitantly, she reached out and took it.

"Are you sure, Lancelot?" He chuckled.

"Yes. I have other garments." And indeed he did. He had a leather shirt, along with his armor. Guinevere pulled the jacket on. It was long, black and warm. She inhaled. It smelled like hay and horses. It smelled good. She sighed. _Lancelot…_

_She's wearing your jacket. She's wearing your bloody jacket! _The thought swirled around in his mind as he stared at Guinevere. He wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms. He wanted to touch her hair; it looked so soft. He wanted to kiss her and hold her and love her.

Slowly, the two made it back to the bench where Guinevere had waited for them. After sitting down, Lancelot spoke. "My lady, if you don't mind me asking, where is your family."

She looked up at him. "I'm… not really sure, actually." She sighed, "Well I know where some of them are."

He frowned. "I… I don't understand. What do you mean, 'where some of them are?'?"

"I was the second oldest of nine, including myself." She began. "My father was a warrior. Since my mother had so many children to take care of, and because I was one of the oldest, I hardly saw her. I had to keep out of the house because I was 'underfoot'

"My older brother, William, and I were always gone. Most of the time, he was teaching me how to fight. We only went back home when my father returned from war. He always brought tales of Arthur. He said though he was the enemy, he was an honorable man.

"When I was twelve, we found out that my father died. My mother went mad with grief. She died two years later. In the end, William and I had to give our youngest siblings to other families. After mother died, there were too many to take care of. Soon, it was just Will, Alicia and me. Alicia was fourteen, Will was sixteen and I was fifteen.

"When I was seventeen, the Saxons raided our village. Both Will and Alicia died; I barely survived. I wandered around for several years, before Marcus Honorius captured me. I guess you know everything else." She gave a small sigh. "I miss them. At least I know mother, father, Will and Alicia are safe."

Lancelot felt terrible. "Milady, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you."

Guinevere smiled at him. "Lancelot, you did nothing wrong. I'm not going to penalize our best fighter for being curious." She gave a soft laugh.

In the darkness, Lancelot blushed. "Do you honestly think I am the best fighter?"

"Yes Lancelot. You are the bravest man I have ever met." He could hear her voice, laced with emotion. She moved closer to him, filling in the gap of one foot. He turned his face to her and for several moments, they stared into each other's eyes. Their faces kept moving closer and closer to the other until the lips met. For a few moments, both of them were together, they had what they always wanted. Lancelot took her hand and she ran her fingers through his dark, curly hair. They were both completely happy, just with each other.

Guinevere broke away first. Tears brimmed in her eyes. "Milady, I am so sorry. I-I don't know what came over me…" he trailed off.

"No, no Lancelot… It was my fault…" She stood and gave him his jacket. "I'd better go now." Before he could say anything, Guinevere was already running inside, leaving Lancelot confused. He raised a hand to his lips. It was strange to think that a mere moment ago, Guinevere had her lips on his.

All night Guinevere was awake. She lay in the bed with Arthur, but her mind was not on the man beside her. _Why did I run away? Was I afraid? Yes, I was afraid. Not of Lancelot, no. I was afraid of breaking my duty as the queen. Then why did I go out there in the first place?_ Then she sighed._ I went because of him… Lancelot._ Slowly, she drifted to sleep.

The following morning, Guinevere awoke to find Arthur gone. _Must have gone to have some meeting. _She stood up and grabbed her dressing gown. After pulling it on, she went to the door. Just as she opened it, she came face to face with…

"Lancelot?" The knight stood in the doorway with his hand raised to knock.

"My lady? I was, uh, seeing if, er, Arthur was in. Is he?"

"No, he probably went to a meeting or something like that. May I help you with something?"

"Oh, no thank you, my lady." He began to walk away.

"Lancelot, I just wanted to say that I am sorry for running away last night. Let's just forget about it."

He stared at her. "Yes. It was nothing." However, one look in her eyes told him that it was more than nothing. Her eyes held caring and tenderness. His were passion-filled and wanting. The thing both of their eyes held was love. Love for the other.

They stood for a moment, with their faces bare millimeters apart. She leaned in to kiss him; she felt so hopeful. But he took her hand and raised it to his lips. "I'm sorry, Guinevere. It was nothing." And he turned and left her feeling crushed and confused. It took her several moments to realize that he called her Guinevere.

The moment Lancelot returned to his room, he nearly began to cry. He hated hurting her, but this was the only way he could protect her. He knew that if she did fall in love with him, someone was bound to find out and both of them would be in serious trouble. They would be executed, most likely. _Oh, Guinevere, I am so sorry. But this was the only way…_

The rest of the day found both knight and queen in deep depression. They both were wishing that she wasn't High Queen and he wasn't such a coward. But mostly they were wishing she would have followed her heart and not married Arthur. _I would give up everything to be with him. It means nothing without him. _

_Some people want it all   
But I don't want nothing at all   
If it ain't you baby   
If I ain't got you baby   
Some people want diamond rings   
Some just want everything   
But everything means nothing   
If I ain't got you_


	4. The battle and confessions

**AN/Disclaimer: ** _Whoa, four chapters in three days! I'm on a role, baby! LOL. So, the 'King Arthur' characters belong to Touchstone pictures and the song is  "Forever in your Eyes" by Jessica Simpson.  Note: I'm not very good at writing descriptive battle scenes, so bear with me. _

            For the next four days, Lancelot and Guinevere only spoke to say, 'Good morning, Sir,' or 'good evening, milady.' It was not apparent to any of the knights, save Galahad, that the queen and her knight were upset with each other. He knew there was something wrong because there were no stolen glances or longing words between the two.

            On the fifth day after the walk, they would ride out to meet the Saxons. Galahad wondered why Arthur would take his wife into battle, but decided not to ask. He knew Guinevere still loved Lancelot and wished to be near him, even if it meant battle. Arthur had offered for her to stay, but she flatly refused.

            The night before they were supposed to ride into battle, Galahad was passing Lancelot's room. The door was ajar and Galahad could hear a noise inside. _Oh, gods please do not tell me he's bedding some bar wench to rid himself of his misery. _The sounds inside the room were different than the sound of lovemaking, however.

            Galahad couldn't resist looking inside. He saw Lancelot lying asleep in a small bed. The dark haired man seemed to be smiling. "Guinevere…" he murmured. _Well, at least he's happy,_ Galahad thought and turned to go when he heard Lancelot say something behind him.

            "You woke me." Galahad was taken aback. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a 'what the hell are you doing in my room, Galahad!?' But these, Galahad reminded himself, were defiantly _not_ normal circumstances.

"Sorry," Galahad muttered before turning to go.

"She's gone."

"What?"

"Guinevere." Galahad moved closer to Lancelot. With a heavy heart, Lancelot told his friend about what happened between him and the queen. "I'm a coward, aren't I?" he finished. "I let her go."

"No. You will _never_ be a coward, Lancelot. And I highly doubt she's angry with you. She's in a rough position right now and it's hard for her."

"If it were someone else in my place _they_ wouldn't care! I'm a coward. A loyal coward."

"Ah, but because it's you, Lancelot, Arthur's best friend, that you stay away."

"I stay away because I love her and don't want to be killed because of it."

"Well, perhaps that, too. But-"

"Galahad, you aren't helping."

"Sorry. You'll see her tomorrow, at least."

Lancelot snorted. "Yeah, on a battlefield. And what if one of us doesn't come back?"

Galahad was silent for a moment. "Arthur was an idiot, letting her go into war." Lancelot raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you say that?"

"If he loves her, he wouldn't let her go."

"She wants to fight, Galahad. She wants to fight for her people."

Galahad stood. "She goes because of _you_, Lancelot. She goes because she wants to fight beside you." The younger knight turned and left a very puzzled Lancelot behind.

            The following morning was hurried. All knights and Guinevere woke at an hour until dawn, and were gone when the sun's first light fell over Britain. As Lancelot climbing onto his horse, he noticed Guinevere was looking at him. She gave him a small smile and sprang onto her mount. As they rode north, Galahad saw that Guinevere and Lancelot were exchanging small glances. _At least they don't hate each other._

            They arrived at the Saxons' camp around six at night. Tristan went to ahead to get a rough estimate of how many there were. The Saxons were camping in the middle of the forest, so it would be difficult to spot him. As the other seven waited, it seemed like the air was heavy around them. All of the knights stared at the spot in the trees were Tristan had vanished into.

            In the darkness, Arthur looked over at Guinevere. He couldn't see her face but he could tell she was afraid. _What does she have to be afraid of?_ Yet he could feel her fear. "Courage, my queen," he whispered to her. She smiled faintly at him.

            There was a crunching and cracking sound. Tristan had returned. "There are nearly fifty. I heard them cursing us." Tristan smiled a little. "Since we killed their leader, their anger has grown."

"What are we going to do?" Bors asked. "Are we going to wait here till dawn or attack now?" He looked at Arthur.

"We attack now. They might spot us before dawn."

            Guinevere glanced sideways at Lancelot. In the dark, his expression looked hard and cold. There was a look in his eye saying he fought for nothing. _Please don't let him die. For god's sake, please._

            Lancelot indeed was fighting for nothing. He was not fighting for Guinevere, Arthur or himself. He was fighting because of his loyalty to Arthur and near Guinevere again. _I should have gone back home,_ he thought, bitterly. _Oh well, it's too late now. _

            Arthur looked at his knights. "Ride now." He said quietly, but everyone heard. Bors let out a loud cry and Galahad and Gawain joined in. They were ready.

            One by one, they rode through the trees with Arthur and Tristan in the lead All the way Lancelot would look at Guinevere now and again. Her face was set. She rode hard and did not look anywhere but forward. Lancelot could not help but stare ahead. _Don't look back._

            They knew the Saxons would be off-guard. It was nearing seven and the Saxons were going to sleep soon. Guinevere's heart was pounding furiously. _Let this battle go well…_

            The Saxons were just heading into their tents when they were attacked. Their leader, Cyprus, was a tall, thickset man with a ragged beard. He was shouting orders to his men, who quickly withdrew their weapons. Tristan was right: there were only fifty. As they ran to grab their swords and axes, Arthur and the rest slew four of them.

            The battle was quick and bloody. Guinevere, on Arthur's orders, scaled a tree and shot from the branches. The whole time she was making sure Lancelot wasn't going to be hurt.

            Lancelot had already slain eight Saxons when he saw Cyprus. He ran to the unscathed leader and fought. The man was bigger than Lancelot, but slower, yet still deadly.  He raised his axe and swung at Lancelot. The knight ducked and swung at Cyprus' legs. As the Saxon fell to his knees, Lancelot took advantage to kill him. But Cyprus surprised him by raising his axe and got him in the stomach.

"No!" Guinevere sprang from her perch in the tree and ran to Lancelot. He was lying on the ground, bleeding freely and Cyprus stood, towering above him.

"So falls the mighty Lancelot. May you rest in peace." Cyprus raised his axe.

Guinevere leapt in front of him. Brandishing her sword she yelled, "If you touch him, I will kill you."

Cyprus laughed. "So you will defend him? A girl?" He raised his axe higher, bringing it down as though to cut off her head. Guinevere ducked, and it grazed her cheek. Blood gushed from the wound. He raised his weapon again, letting it fall near her neck, catching her in the shoulder.

            Guinevere lifted her sword, but he got her a third time, this one in the leg. Slowly, she dropped to the ground. She saw Cyprus lifting his weapon to kill. _So this is how I shall die. Well, I won't die without my enemy. _As he bent over her, Guinevere raised her sword and stabbed him in the neck. The blade went right through his throat, and he dropped.

            Guinevere crawled over to Lancelot. "Lancelot?" He didn't stir, but she could see his chest moving. "Lancelot, the battle is over. We won!" Still, he would not move. "Lancelot?" Tears fell down her face.

"Guinevere, he's not dead. Don't cry." Galahad stood beside her. "You saved him. Here, put him on my horse. We can carry him back home."

            Arthur appeared. "We can call Morgaine, my sister, from Avalon to help him. She is one of the best healers in Britain." So they put Lancelot on Galahad's horse and rode to Camelot.

            When they arrived home, it was five at night. They first thing they did was put Lancelot with the healers. After they, had Galahad send word to Morgaine in Avalon.

            As he was getting ready for the journey, Guinevere came to him. "Please take care. Ride fast and make sure Lady Morgaine is protected."

            Galahad gave the queen a small smile. "Don't worry, Gwen. I'll be safe. The journey will be three days, if we're lucky." Seeing her face, he added quickly, "the healers here are very good. He'll live, my lady, don't worry."

She kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Galahad. I will never forget all your help."

            Galahad was right. The healers were very good. Two days after the battle, Lancelot began to wake. Guinevere sat by his bed every day, leaving only at night. She would hold his hand and tell him stories. She knew she was being an idiot, but she felt like he could hear her. _Lancelot, please don't leave me. _

            But on the second day, he began to stir. His dark eyes blinked a little and he raised his hand and brushed the hair out of his face. "Ah… whattimesit?" He grumbled. Guinevere smiled.

"It's around one in the afternoon."

"Guinevere? What are you doing here?" She told him about the battle, Morgaine and past two days. Of course, she left out that she practically lived at his bedside.

"Oh, that might explain why I'm so hungry. So when is Morgaine coming?"

"I honestly don't know."

            Lancelot stared at her. She was looking so beautiful and he loved her. But she didn't know. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her so bad. This was the only time he could.

"Guinevere, thank you for saving my life. I really appreciate that and I want to tell you something…"

"What? What is it, Lancelot?" She looked puzzled.

_Oh shit. Why was I such an idiot? Now I've gotten myself into a huge mess! I have to tell her. _

"Guinevere I… Oh to hell with it!" He sat up a little and pulled her closer. Their lips met and he kissed her hungrily. She pressed back, equally as passionate. She pulled her hair out of it's bun and he ran his fingers through it.

"I love you." She whispered. Lancelot was stunned.

"You do? Then why did you marry Arthur?"

"Merlin said I should to unite our people. Lancelot, you must understand. I loved you ever since you pulled me out of the dungeon. I did." Tears filled her eyes, and she ran her fingers down his cheek. "I love you." She said hoarsely.

He caught her hand and kissed it. "I love you too." She smiled.

"Promise me that you'll never leave me. Promise."

"I swear, Guinevere. I won't let anything touch you as long as I draw sword or breath."

Guinevere suddenly looked terrified. "What about Arthur? What will he say?"

Lancelot grinned. "He doesn't have to know."

Guinevere laughed. "Oh, Lancelot, I don't know what I would do without you."

_Each moment we're together  
I just never want to end  
'Cause I could never feel this way again  
  
'Cause nothing else had ever felt so right  
To feel your body lying next to mine  
As the rhythm of your heart beats through me  
All through the night  
I never thought I'd ever realize  
A long that feels so close to paradise  
Boy I could spend my whole life living  
Forever in your eyes_

            For the next two days, Guinevere was happier than she had ever been. She smiled more and laughed longer. One day while she was sitting in her chambers, she heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" she called.

            The door opened and Galahad walked in. He was still wearing his traveling clothes and his shoes were caked with mud.

"Galahad!" Guinevere cried, joyfully. She leapt up and embraced him. "Where is Morgaine?"

            From behind Galahad, there came a woman. She was very tall and slender with long, wavy raven hair. Her face was beautiful; she had dark eyes and full lips. She was wearing and traveler's dress. She gave the air of a wise woman. On her fore head, there was a tattoo of a blue moon, the symbol of Avalon. When she spoke, her voice was sweet and gentle.

"I am Morgaine."

            __

_            Okay, I hope that chapter was long enough! The next chapter revolves mostly around Morgaine, but don't worry! There will be plenty of Lancelot/Guinevere in here! Kudos!_

_  ETB _ 


	5. Morgaine

**A/N:** _Whee! So I just posted chapter four of FF.N and now I'm writing chapter five! Doesn't that ROCK!? LOL, jkjk Please r&r! _

**Disclaimer:** _All the characters belong to Touchstone Pictures and Morgaine belongs to… the legend I guess… _

"Lady Morgaine! I welcome you!" Guinevere said happily. "Come with me, and I'll take you to Lancelot." As Guinevere led Morgaine out of her chambers, she noted that Galahad's eyes lingered on the priestess. Guinevere smiled to herself. _It looks like he's found someone. _

When they reached the healer's ward, Lancelot was sitting upright. When he saw Morgaine, he grinned. "Morgaine! How wonderful to see you! Ah, and Guinevere, my queen. It's been too long." Guinevere and Lancelot promised that they would put on this façade when they had company.

Morgaine was carrying a small pouch. Out of it, she pulled several small bottles of liquids, pastes or creams. On Lancelot's bedside table, there was an empty jug and a wooden bowl. "Queen Guinevere, where is the kitchen?"

"Why do you need to go to the kitchen?"

"I need water and linens."

"I can get them for you."

"No, thank you, but I can get them myself."

After telling Morgaine where the kitchen was, Guinevere sat down beside her lover. "It was so hard not to look at you." He murmured.

Guinevere smiled. "Don't worry. We'll have our time." She sat back down and they waited for Morgaine.

When the priestess returned, she went straight to work. Then, after thirty minutes, Guinevere asked Morgaine a question.

"Morgaine?"

"Yes, milady?"

"You are Arthur's half-sister, yes?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, does that make you a Briton?"

Morgaine looked at her. "Yes. I am a full- blooded Briton."

Lancelot glanced up. "But you are younger than Arthur!"

"Aye. My mother was a Briton and so was my father. Her name was Igraine and she was married to my father, Gorlois. He was the duke of Cornwall for a while, until the Romans came. Their leader, Uther saw my mother. She was the fairest lady he'd ever seen. However, she was already married, and had a daughter, my sister, Morgause. That didn't stop him. He imprisoned my father for two years and married my mum. They had Arthur a year later.

"However, my father escaped and found my mother. They shared one last night together, in which I was conceived. Uther found my father and killed him. My mother had me in Britain and when I was four, she gave me to my aunt, Viviane, before they, Uther, mum and Arthur, went to Rome. Morgause and I were fostered in Avalon with Viviane." She sighed. "Someday, I will find Uther and kill him. I never knew my father because of him." She washed Lancelot's wound angrily.

"Did you like Arthur? He is your brother." Guinevere asked.

Morgaine shook her head. "No. He was always cruel to Morgause and me because we were full Briton. He thought he was better than we were. I loved Morgause more than anything. She was so good to me. I loved her like she was my mother."

"How much older is Morgause than you?"

"Five years."

They sat in silence for a while. Morgaine was busy cleaning Lancelot's wound with her head bowed. Guinevere knew that she had her head down so they wouldn't see her tears. At last, she lifted her head. "There. You're done for today. I'll come back every day until it scars." Morgaine beamed at him before kissing his brow and sweeping out the door.

Guinevere bent down and kissed Lancelot. "I'd better go too. Don't worry, though. I'll return."

The following evening at dinner, Guinevere had her usual spot in between Arthur and Galahad. Morgaine was on Galahad's left. The priestess looked beautiful. She was out of her traveling clothes and was clad in a deep red robe, edged with gold. On the wrists were gold bands and a gold circlet adorned her brow. Galahad couldn't take his eyes off her.

Since Morgaine had all of Galahad's attention, Guinevere looked to Arthur for conversation. The king was never much of a talker, so that plan failed. _I guess I'll have no dinner talk then._ Her gaze fell on Galahad and Morgaine.

She never saw the way Galahad looked at Morgaine before. His eyes never left hers and his face was shining. Morgaine no longer looked a serious as before; in fact, she was smiling and looking brighter. Guinevere turned back to her food. She thought it was so sweet that Morgaine and Galahad were in love. They would be wonderful together.

After a while, everyone began to leave the table. Morgaine left early, followed quickly by Galahad. _He obviously adores her._ Guinevere thought. She left shortly after him.

Galahad slipped into a grove of trees where he was going to meet Morgaine. He could see her waiting for him. The priestess was sitting down on the grass, singing softly. He walked over to her and sat. She smiled softly at him. She finished her song and reached out to him. Her slender fingers gently caressed his cheek. "I love you." She whispered.

Galahad grasped her hand. "I love you, too." He leaned in and kissed her. She moaned softly and removed his tunic. Quickly, they undressed each other, never breaking the kiss. Lips met, his calloused hands stroked her back, and her soft hands touched him. He kissed her and she nibbled on his lower lip, causing him to groan. This was the first time in ages they had been together.

Hours later found them lying in the grove in each other's arms. Morgaine was propped up against a tree and Galahad had his head on her breasts. She ran her hands over his hair. "Galahad?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you linger here instead of going home? Lancelot told me that most of the knights lost their homes, or came from horrid families. That is why they stay. Yet, you came from a good family that is still alive. Why don't you go back?"

He looked up at her. "Do you not know? Morgaine, I stay because I have you. I stay because I hate to be parted from you." He kissed her. "I love you, Morgaine."

Moments later, they rose and dressed. They were going back to their rooms, and pray that no one noticed their disappearance. When they reached Morgaine's room, Galahad kissed her and handed her something. It was a ring: a thin, gold band, with tiny jewels encrusted in it. Morgaine stared at it. The jewels glinted in the light. She slipped it on her fourth finger on her left hand.

Around her neck hung a gold chain. She removed it and put it around his neck. "When you doubt, trust this." She placed one hand on his chest, the other on hers. Twisting a lock of his dark hair around her finger, she kissed him. "I have to go. I love you, Galahad."

"I love you too. Goodbye."

_'Cause you were made for me  
Somehow I'll make you see  
How happy you make me  
  
I can't live this life  
Without you by my side  
I need you to survive_

**A/N: Yeah, we know it was short but, aw!**** Galahad/Morgaine mushiness! The song belongs to Evanescence. It's called "****Forgive ****Me.****" The lyrics, I think, explain my little G/M. She lived a shitty life and he's come and made her happy! Someday, I might write a fic getting more into detail about the G/M relationship, just not now. Kudos!**

** ETB **


	6. All of This

**A/N:** _Okay, to clear up any confusion about ages 'n' stuff, Arthur is three years older than Morgaine. I'm gonna say that when Lancelot (at the beginning of KA) was eight. 15 years later, he would be 23. Arthur is about the same. Guinevere is 20, and so are Galahad and Morgaine. Hope that helped clear up any age confusion! Please review! I also don't know what the knights would drink for breakfast, so I'm just going to say it was ale. And, for those who are craving more Lancelot/Guinevere, the last half is pure L/G fluff! _

**Disclaimer:** _All the characters belong to 'Touchstone Pictures.' Morgaine belongs to the legend and the plot belongs to the ETB. The song, 'All of This' is © Blink-182 _

Morgaine sat on her bed in the dark. Her slender fingers touched the ring Galahad gave her. She felt the engravings and every mark on it. She sighed and lay back down on her pillow, falling asleep instantly.

_ Morgaine was a child of about seven. She was running through a forest, it seemed. She sprinted to a small pool in the clearing. Mist hung over it and she bent over and looked into the waters. Suddenly, she changed into the woman she was now. Morgaine breathed into the water and whispered something. _

_ Instantly, shapes formed in the water. A peaceful __Hadrian's Wall__. People, happy people, were running about, laughing. The shapes changed. The Wall was burning. Smoke rose and engulfed the once happy inhabitants. They ran from something… was it the Saxons? The shapes in the pool changed rapidly… Lancelot and Guinevere were kissing, Guinevere was being burnt at the stake, Arthur was going mad, a figure dressed in a black cloak running, Saxons laughing, the figure removed the hood and revealed a young girl… Galahad, dear Galahad, was lying dead with an arrow in his heart. _No! Not my Galahad!Morgaine wept._ A strange voice, it was Viviane or Morgause, said to her,_ I fear the thing you dread, will indeed, come to pass.__

_ Morgaine lifted her face from the pool. The ring on her finger smoldered and burned off. She lifted the melted remains off the ground and threw it into the water. As she walked away, the entire pond began to burn…_

Morgaine shot up. A cold sweat was on her brow. Immediately she looked at the ring on her finger. It was there, gleaming in the light. _Oh, goddess! What happened?_ She shook her head, as though to clear it. Her dream made no sense… why was the Wall burning? She had no time to ponder this, however, because there was a knock on her door and a servant poked her head in. "Lady Morgaine? It's time for breakfast."

Morgaine got up and began to get ready. She pulled on a white gown and a brown vest. With skilled fingers, she brushed and braided her black hair and slipped on a pair of brown shoes. She walked quickly downstairs and sighed. _I'll think about my dream after breakfast. It was nothing. _However, the nagging in the back of her head told her that it was far more than nothing.

Breakfast was normal at first. Bors was his usual loud, annoying self, Tristan was silent and Gawain and Galahad had a contest to see who could down the contents of their tankards first. Gawain won, of course. He celebrated his victory by drinking two more tankards, and had to excuse himself to vomit outside.

"Guess he shouldn't drink so early in the morning!" Bors yelled. Morgaine did not drink ale, preferring water, but she laughed along.

"Ah, Morgaine, it's nice to hear your laughter again. It has been to long." Arthur smiled at his younger sister. His expression turned solemn. "But, why didn't you come to my wedding and crowning?"

Morgaine bowed her head, politely._ Why does he think, just because he is the king, that everything I do must be run on his time?_ "I apologize, brother, but I had business in Avalon to take care of." Even though she had manners, there was a bitter note in her voice.

Arthur laughed. "It's alright, sister. What concerns me is that our mother and my father did not attend."

"Don't trouble yourself. I'm sure that you have their blessing. Their _Roman_ blessing."

Guinevere glanced up. "Where are your mother and father, Arthur? Do they still dwell in Rome?"

Arthur was just about to answer, when Morgaine cut in. "Aye, my lady. They are in Rome. They left after they abandoned Morgause and me." She smiled sweetly at Arthur. "Isn't that right, _brother_?" She said the word as if she had uttered a curse.

Arthur stood. "Morgaine, we left you and Morgause in Britain because mother and father could not afford to take care of you!"

Morgaine leapt to her feet. "You know perfectly well that they had a lot of money! They could care for ten children, and have some left over! They _chose_ not to care for Morgause and me! They, especially _your_ father, thought that Morgause and I were embarrassments to the family! I was called illegitimate! Viviane wanted to tend to us because she actually loved us!"

"Morgaine, we loved you! We just could not look after you anymore! What you said is a lie!"

The priestess tossed back her head and laughed. "Oh, is it a lie, Arthur? You say that you loved me, yet it was _you_ that mocked Morgause and me for being Briton. It was _you_ that told us to paint out faces blue and dance around naked! That is no lie, Arthur! That is the honest truth! Now you are supposed to be the king of the people you once hated, the ones you once tormented!"

All of the knights went silent. They knew nothing of this. Now who were they supposed to believe? Morgaine seemed to know Arthur better than they did; she was his sister. Was it true that he mocked the people of who he was now king? He had been a young boy; all people change.

Morgaine's face was reddening and her eyes were flashing. Arthur looked like he was about either cry or yell at her again. When he opened his mouth, Morgaine gave him such a dark look, as though daring him to speak, that he shut it. None of them would have been surprised if he literally shrunk under her gaze. Arthur threw down his food and stormed out of the room. Morgaine glared after him before she left as well.

Everyone stared at the doorway before Bors said, "I never would've guessed. I can't believe he would make fun of his own _sister_ for being Briton." Everyone murmured their agreement.

"Did you know, Galahad?" Guinevere asked him quietly.

Galahad nodded. "She told me when we first met." He smiled, sadly. "I would hate to see something so high and excellent cast away so needlessly."

Guinevere cocked her head to the side. "What do mean?"

"You don't know Morgaine and Arthur like I do. He will send her away. He would cast her aside and never think of her again. After all she has done for him, too. She has saved more of our lives than I can remember. Including his." Galahad sighed. "I'll go talk to her."

**Morgaine speaks…**

_ For as long as I can remember, I was teased for being Briton. I don't recall if Morgause was. More people accepted her because she was far prettier than I was. People knew who _her_ father was. Everyone thought that I was an illegitimate child, that my mother was a whore, who slept with men after she was married to Uther. So I was ridiculed for my mother's supposed mistake._

_ I remember that Morgause defended me. It never really hurt my feelings that people teased me. I had Morgause. Then Arthur and Uther began. Uther rarely noticed me. When he did, his only words were, 'don't do that, Morgaine. Don't touch that, Morgaine. Stop, Morgaine.' I did not care; from what I saw, Uther was a brute. _

_ Then he and his son, my brother, mocked us. Once, Arthur pulled my hair and said to paint myself blue. Then Uther told me to wear deerskins. I didn't understand, so I asked Morgause. She told me that we weren't like Arthur and his father. I still didn't get it; I must have been a very ignorant child. _

_ She said that those weren't compliments. She said that we were Britons, and that we should be proud of our heritage. I asked why they didn't mock mother. She said that mother was different. It wasn't until later that I understood what she meant. Mother was not different; they merely had respect for her. Uther because she was high and noble and Arthur only because she was his mother. It hurt even more that these people were supposed to be my family._

_ I remember my aunt, Viviane. She was a Briton, but no one dared mock her. She was like a mother to me. She was very wise and brave. I remember when Mother said that she, Uther and Arthur were going away for a while. Uther was going to send Morgause and I to a nunnery, but Viviane volunteered to take us to Avalon and raise us there. _

_ I dwelled in Avalon with Viviane for sixteen years. I learned about healing and I became a priestess. I was happy there, but I felt like I was missing something. When I was sixteen, Arthur returned to __Britain__. Viviane told Morgause and I to go greet him. We would sail to the mainland and a group of Arthur's knights would escort us to the Wall, where Arthur was living._

_ We made it to the mainland. In the escort of knights was Galahad. He was the youngest of them, tall and handsome. We fell in love instantly on the way to the Wall. He was sweeter and gentler than the others. When we reached the Wall, I realized that I no longer had an empty feeling. Galahad filled it._

_ Once he came to me in the middle of the night. He said that once he was released from __Rome__'s control, that he would marry me. That was the first time I was ever truly, wholly happy. I loved him more than I loved anyone in the world. _

_ Arthur ruined everything. He said I had to leave, that Galahad had four more years in his service and that the knights had no time for love, that women just distract them. I left the Wall, broken hearted. I knew that even if Galahad's sentence was over, yet he remained with Arthur, that I would never be able to marry him. He would never leave his leader, who just so happened to be my older brother. I also knew that Arthur told me a blatant lie. He sent me away because I was Morgaine. Many of his knights were married. I was sent away because Arthur hated me. _

_Yet I knew, with all my heart that someday Galahad would leave Arthur and that would tie with the downfall of Arthur and __Hadrian's Wall__. _

An hour later, Guinevere sat next to Lancelot's bed. She was telling him the story about what happened at breakfast. Lancelot raised his eyebrows. "There always has been some enmity between them."

"How so?"

"Whenever I saw them together, Morgaine was always somewhat… bitter. She was always so kind when he wasn't around."

Guinevere decided to change the subject. Right now was not the time to talk about Morgaine and Arthur. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, thank you. Morgaine helped a lot." He reached up and touched her cheek. There was a scar there from when Cyprus got her with his axe. "You got that from the Saxon, didn't you?" Guinevere nodded. He grinned at her. "When you saved me." She blushed and bowed her head.

Placing a hand on his forehead she murmured, "I would do it all over again."

"Would you, now?"

"Aye. I would put my life on the line for you." She touched the wound on his stomach. "This wound, it was my doing, wasn't it?"

"No, you did not hold the weapon."

"No, I did not hold the weapon. You felt that you fought for nothing, didn't you?" She reached out to him, resting a hand on his cheek. "At the battle at Badon, you fought for your freedom. You fought for Arthur. You fought for everyone but yourself. And five days ago, you fought for nothing."

"Why do you say that?" He asked her, smiling.

"I say that because I know what it feels like to have nothing. I was in a prison for two years. I thought I would die. Thinking so, I decided I had nothing, and wanted to live for nothing. Yet I have always had something." She brushed her lips across his. "I have always had you, Lancelot. Maybe not literally, but I always thought that I had a lover, I just hadn't found him yet." She kissed him again.

Lancelot grinned at her. His dark eyes were sparkling. "How long are you going to stay here?"

Guinevere shrugged. "I am the queen; I can stay where ever I choose." She smiled, mischievously. "I'll stay until you want me to leave."

"What if I never want you to leave?"

"Then I will never go." She sat next to him on the bed. He slid down into a laying position and his dark head was resting on the pillows. His eyes closed and Guinevere ran her hand over his cheek. She lied down next to him, fitting her slender body into the crook of his arm. Resting her head on his shoulder, the flung her free arm over his chest.

Lancelot chuckled. "What are you doing, my queen?"

Guinevere smiled up at him. "Trying to sleep." He put his arms around her and kissed her on the top of her head.

"I never want to leave you," she murmured.

"Good, because I never want you to leave." He whispered. They closed their eyes and fell asleep.

Hours later Guinevere opened her eyes. _What… where am I? _She saw Lancelot's sleeping form and suppressed a laugh. His mouth was wide open and she wouldn't have been surprised if his tongue was hanging out. She ran a hand lovingly over his black curls.

Gingerly, Guinevere lifted his arm off her and stood. _It must be nearing __noon__._ When she got up, Lancelot woke with a start. "Wha-what? Wassamatder?" He asked, groggily. Guinevere laughed.

"I have to leave now, love. I promise I'll be back." She kissed him, tenderly. "Do you want me to get you anything?"

"No, thanks." He touched her hand. "Right now, all I want is to leave with you." She smiled at him.

"I know." Her eyes shone with unshed tears. "I want to get away from here. Away from war and the Saxons and fighting and everything. I want to stay with you, forever." She kissed him and quietly took her leave.

_With all of this I feel now  
Everything inside of my heart  
It all just seems to be how  
Nothing I feel pulls at me at all  
Again I wait for this to pull apart  
To break my time in two  
Another night with her  
But I'm always wanting you_

_She's all I need  
She's all I dream  
She's all I'm always wanting  
She's all I need  
She's all I dream  
She's all I'm always wanting you_


	7. Everybody's Fool

**A/N:** _Sorry for the LONG wait! Just for that, I'm going to make this chapter a LOOOOOONG one! This is the bit where the plot REALLY starts moving! Oh yeah and, I saw KA yesterday, and I remembered that both Arthur's mum and dad died. Eek! Sorry, Lizzi made a boo-boo._

**Disclaimer:** _Touchstone pictures owns the movie. Morgaine, Morgause and Viviane belong to the myth I guess. Catherine, Isabella, Catalina, Morwen and Gabrielle belong to the ETB. The song, Everybody's Fool, is © Evanescence. _

As Guinevere walked back to her chambers, she passed Morgaine's room. The priestess's door was open and Guinevere could see her inside. Morgaine had a carpetbag open on her bed; she was throwing clothes in it. She paused and sniffed, wiping her nose. Tear streaks trailed down her face and her eyes were red.

"Morgaine?" The priestess jumped a little, then relaxed when she saw who spoke.

"It's only you, my queen." She bowed a little.

"Where are you going, Morgaine?" Morgaine lowered her eyes.

"I am returning to Avalon, Queen Guinevere."

"Please, Morgaine, call me Guinevere. I need no title." Morgaine smiled at Guinevere. "Morgaine, why are you going back? You are welcome here as long as you like. Yes, I know you have duties in Avalon, but here you have friends here… and Galahad." She paused.

Morgaine's head snapped up from her bag. "How did you…?"

Guinevere laughed a little. "I am the Queen, no? I have spies." She paused again and smiled, mischievously. "Actually, he told me. You don't mind, do you? I will tell no one."

"No… no I do not mind. I return because, though you welcome me, my brother doesn't. Besides, I am the Lady and I need to go. I left my sister, Morgause in charge in my stead, but she has other things to do as well."

"Can he not go with you to Avalon?"

Morgaine shook her head. "I must leave now, Guinevere." Tears filled her eyes. She put a black cloak on. Tying her dark hair back into a braid, she pulled the hood over her head. It covered most of her face, leaving her forehead and eyes in shadow. Guinevere followed the priestess outside, into the stables. Morgaine went to a large black horse. It was all ready for the long journey.

Morgaine was just about to mount the horse, when she turned and looked at Guinevere. The priestess pulled the hood off her head, revealing her face. "Goodbye for now, Guinevere. I have a feeling we will meet again… very soon." She smiled and kissed Guinevere's forehead. Morgaine mounted the horse and rode away.

Guinevere sprinted out of the stables and stared after her friend. "Goodbye, Morgaine. Till we meet again." The queen sighed and started back inside. Galahad was sitting on the stone steps leading into the castle.

"She's gone, hasn't she?"

"I'm sorry, Galahad. I really am; she said that she needed to return to her duties in Avalon."

Galahad smiled at Guinevere. "I know. I just wish she would have waited to say goodbye." His eyes were bright with tears. Guinevere reached out to him, her fingers gently touched his cheek.

"I'm sorry." She said again, before turning to go.

For a while, Galahad gazed out at the horizon before he whispered, "Farewell, Morgaine, my love. Until next time."

**That night…**

Later, over a dinner of cold rabbit pie, Arthur announced that he would leave Camelot for a while.

"Why?" Bors asked.

"I'm leaving for Cornwall, to talk to the duke about the Saxon forces. I'll be gone for seven days." He turned to Guinevere. "You will be ruler in my stead." Guinevere bowed her head. For a few moments, no one spoke. The silence was broken, however, by a loud choking noise.

Gawain began hacking and hitting himself in the chest. Everyone paused and stared at him. "He-help!" He coughed. Bors stood and walked briskly over to him. With one swift _smack_, a large chunk of rabbit pie went flying out of Gawain's mouth and across the room, where it hit the floor with a wet splat.

"You know, Gawain, that's why I chew my food." Galahad said calmly, raising his eyebrows.

The following morning, everyone was up early, ready to bid the king goodbye. "Why are you going alone?" Guinevere asked for the umpteenth time.

"Because, if I travel in a large group, someone is bound to spot us. And that someone could be a Saxon. Don't worry, Gwen. I'll be alright."

"Are you sure? I mean, I could come with you. I-" Arthur placed his hand on her mouth.

"Don't _worry_. I'll be fine, I promise." He kissed her and Guinevere placed her hand over his.

"Stay safe." Her dark eyes were full of concern. She kissed him again. "Return to me."

That night, all of the Knights were sitting in the tavern. Even though their leader was gone, they were still laughing and talking. Gawain stood and left their table for a moment, before returning with a woman. She was very pretty, with long, wavy fair hair and blue eyes.

Gawain met her a month ago in the tavern. Her name was Gabrielle and she was French. She hardly English, but she loved him, and he loved her.

"Who's your friend, Gawain?" Bors pointed at Gabrielle.

"This is Gabrielle. She doesn't speak a word of English. Only French." Gabrielle smiled at Gawain.

"Gawain, you don't speak French." Lancelot said.

"And you do?"

"My mother was French. She taught me before I was so kindly taken from my family. I'll talk to your _bella ami_ for you."

"Would you?"

"_Oui_." Lancelot grinned at the pretty woman beside Gawain. "_Bonjour, jolie bonne, je suis monsieur Lancelot, un ami de Gawain._"

Gabrielle giggled. "_Bonjour, Monsieur Lancelot. De façon ou d'autre, vous semblez me connaître, bien que nous ne nous soyons jamais réunis_." She giggled again. "_Vous aimez Gawain, non_?"

"_Oui_." To Gawain, Lancelot hissed, "What do you want to say to her?"

"Tell her that I love her."

"_Amour de Gawain vous beaucoup. L'aimez-vous?_"

"_Oui, Monsieur._"

"She loves you too."

"Really? What should I do now?"

"Kiss her and ravish her."

"What?"

"Well, that's what Bors does to Vanora when they get into fights."

"But we haven't had a fight."

"Gawain?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up now."

"Well, I'm just saying-"

"That's not shutting up, Gawain. That's still talking rubbish."

In the end, Gawain and Gabrielle went away with each other, probably Gawain was taking Lancelot's advice. The dark haired man sighed. It was dark and he was tired. He yawned and stood, walking back into the keep for his room. Who gives a rat's ass about staying up all night? "Not me." Lancelot muttered.

He crawled into his narrow bed and was just about to fall asleep, when he heard his room's door open. A tall figure came in. It was dressed in a long, black cloak with the hood up, covering the person's face.

"What are you doing here, Lancelot?" Guinevere's soft voice came from the hood.

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"You should be out with the rest of them."

"I grew weary. Where were you all day, Gwen?"

She pulled off her hood. "I was in my chambers, reading." She held her hand out to him. "Are you still fatigued? I should go then; you need your rest." The queen turned to go.

"No!" Lancelot nearly shouted. She looked back at him, an amused smile playing on her face.

"You don't want me to leave? Very well, then…" She took off her cloak, revealing the long, pale green gown underneath. She tossed back her hair and sat on the bed, beginning to crawl up to him, purposefully kneeing Lancelot in the groin. He gasped and Guinevere smirked.

She leaned forward to kiss him and he craned his neck to return it. At the last second, Guinevere pulled her head back. Lancelot moaned. "Temptress," he whimpered. She smiled as she ran her fingers softly over his lips. Leaning forward, she placed a kiss on his lips. Lancelot returned it, hungrily. He kissed her neck, down to her shoulder. Guinevere moaned and kissed the top of his head.

"This is a dream." He murmured to her. "This is all a dream and I'll wake up to nothing."

"No. No, this isn't a dream." Guinevere's voice was soft.

She pulled off her dress and cast it to the floor. Lancelot planted a trail of kisses from her lips down to her flat stomach. Guinevere yanked off his shirt and threw it away. Lancelot pulled off his trousers and flung them onto the ground. The moment they were undressed, Lancelot kissed her furiously. Guinevere's tongue touched his lips, begging for entrance, which he granted. He moaned into her mouth as their tongues battled each other. She toyed with a curl of his dark hair and he ran his hands up and down her warm back. Soon, Guinevere pushed Lancelot down and lay on top of him.

Their callused hands eagerly touched and stroked and lips met, sometimes softly and sometimes passionate and fiery. Sometimes they murmured to the other, other times they cried out. Hours later, they lay together, with their arms wrapped around each other. Lancelot rubbed her back. He always did this after lovemaking. Guinevere's back was not like the other woman's. Their backs were soft, sometimes flabby. Guinevere's was smooth, warm skin over firm muscle. He placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"You are my light." He whispered.

She reached out and smoothed out his black curls. "And you are my downfall." She murmured.

He propped himself up on an elbow. "Why?"

She grinned at him. "You made me weak. I was once a strong, brave warrior. Now I am I frail girl." She smiled again. "But it's alright. My mother once asked me what my weaknesses were. I think I was eight or so. I was already learning how to fight; I wanted to battle Saxons. I was the strongest girl in my village, so I told her I had no weaknesses."

Lancelot laughed. "You were a cocky thing, weren't you?"

Guinevere made a face. "Of course I was. I am the granddaughter of Merlin." She fell back onto the soft pillows. "But if she asked me again, I would say you were my weakness."

"I am all ladies' weakness." Guinevere laughed at his remark and gently hit him in the arm. They kissed gently and soon, both fell asleep.

The following week went by quite well. Guinevere kept control over Camelot, and she was a good leader. So, when Arthur returned, Camelot was not in ruins like he'd expected. Guinevere greeted him at the door, telling him about everything, except, of course, Lancelot.

"We missed you, Arthur." She said, after she told him about the past seven days. He embraced his wife and kissed her. "I love you," she whispered into his ear. "I missed you." She said again. It was not a lie

Though she was a strong, powerful leader, Guinevere had had no real experience ruling a kingdom. Though she loved Lancelot, Arthur was like a brother to her; he made her feel safe, she wanted him to be beside her. That night, Arthur and Guinevere made love, and when she fell asleep, she felt more secure with Arthur, like he was watching over her, like a Christian angel. She reached out and ran a hand down his face.

The following morning, Guinevere awoke earlier, hoping to have a word with Galahad to thank him for his help. She found him, wandering alone in the gardens. "Galahad!" Her voice rang out. He turned.

"Ah! Guinevere." He walked over to her, taking her hand and kissing it.

"Galahad, I wanted to thank you for all of your help." She took his hands in hers. "It meant the world to me. And I'm sorry about Morgaine."

He smiled. "Don't worry. Morgaine is my best friend; I know her better than anyone. I know why she left." For a moment, he stared into the Queen's dark eyes.

It all happened fast. Lancelot came out to see where Galahad was, when he saw Guinevere and Galahad holding hands and talking in low voices. _What?_ He thought. Then, Galahad leaned forward and kissed Guinevere. In that quick, ugly moment, all of Lancelot's life, and heart, was shattered. He stopped, dumbstruck. The moment passed and he was furious. Turning away from them, he stormed back inside.

_Perfect by nature  
Icons of self indulgence  
Just what we all need  
More lies about a world that_

_Never was and never will be  
have you no shame don't you see me  
you know you've got everybody fooled_

She betrayed me. She's betrayed Arthur twice. Now she has Galahad wrapped in her web. She's a minx, a coquette.

_look here she comes now  
bow down and stare in wonder  
oh how we love you  
no flaws when you're pretending  
but now I know she  
  
never was and never will be  
you don't know how you've betrayed me  
and somehow you've got everybody fooled _

She doesn't deserve anyone. She takes us and makes us worship her. She thinks that she's better than us. She doesn't deserve Arthur. The poor man; he's probably wretched, cursed by his god.

_Without the mask where will you hide  
Can't find yourself lost in your lie  
  
I know the truth now  
I know who you are  
and I don't love you anymore_

I hate her. I don't love that deceitful flirt. I don't. She's lost herself in all of her lies.

_It never was and never will be  
you don't know how you've betrayed me  
and somehow you've got everybody fooled  
  
It never was and never will be  
you're not real and you can't save me  
somehow now you're everybody's fool _

When Lancelot reached his room, he fell on his bed and he did something he couldn't remember doing since the Romans took him from his family. He began to cry. _I loved her. _He thought. _I would do anything for her. But she's gone now. I loved her._

Lancelot couldn't dwell on his sorrows for long. Guinevere was going to have a child, and Camelot was celebrating at the birth of an heir. The following winter, a baby girl was born. She had black tufts of hair and dark eyes. This was clearly Guinevere's child. They named her Catherine.

"Ow, that hurts! Can't you tie it looser?"

"Now, that's how everyone wears it in the market place."

"Well, they must be mad! It's ripping out my hair."

It was fifteen years since the birth of the princess. Catherine grew into a willful, spirited young girl. She was accompanied nearly everywhere by her friend and handmaiden, Catalina. Catalina was a girl from Spain, who was brought to Britain to flee her father. Catherine and Catalina could pass as sisters. They both had long dark hair and dark eyes, with pale skin.

Catalina tied a kerchief around her friend's head. "Hold _still_, Kate! It shouldn't hurt that much. It's because you're moving!" After the kerchief was secured, Catalina pulled out a long, ragged dress and shoes. She shoved them into her friend's arms. "Put these on." She instructed.

Catalina herself was already clad in rags. Her pretty face was smudged with dirt, and her hair, usually in a neat bun or plait, was in a messy braid. She reached out to Catherine and yanked out her tidy bun. "Ouch! Catalina."

"Sorry." She mussed the princess's hair and braided it like her own. "There. Perfect." The girls looked in the mirror.

Two peasant girls looked back at them. They were dressed in peasant garb with dirty faces and rags in exchange for fine dresses. Both of them could pass as peasants. Just in case, Catherine had a rag that she tied over mouth and nose.

"Remind me why we are leaving the Keep, when your new husband is coming in just three hours." Catalina asked her friend.

"I've already told you a thousand times, I want to get out before he arrives."

Arthur had arranged a marriage for his daughter with a Roman man, Lucius. He was coming to Camelot in a few hours' time to visit his friend and his future wife. Catherine wanted to escape the keep for an hour or two before she had to go meet her betrothed.

"So, are we ready?" Catalina interrupted her friend's thoughts.

"Yes."

Quietly, the two slipped out of Catherine's room and down the hallway. No one was in the way, obstructing the path to freedom. But as they turned the corner, Catherine ran right into someone.

"Ah. And what are two lovely young ladies, such as yourselves, doing out?" Lancelot asked with a smile.

Lancelot was like a father figure to the princess. She adored him because he treated her as if she was a normal girl; he was teaching her how to sword fight. Lancelot liked Catherine as well. She reminded him of Guinevere, who he still hadn't forgiven. She had come to him several times, nearly begging forgiveness that he refused to return. He'd even given Galahad the cold shoulder.

"We're going out before Lucius arrives."

"You don't want to marry him, do you?"

"No, I don't. I don't know him. I want to be like my mother who married because she loved my father."

_That's a lie._ Lancelot thought. He knew about Merlin. He wasn't about to tell Catherine that, of course.

"Lancelot, we'll be back in an hour or so. If anyone asks, tell them that I'm asleep and not to disturb me."

"Yes, milady." Lancelot said, mockingly.

"Thank you, good sir." Catherine smirked. She and Catalina ran to the door of the keep. The guards at the door thought the girls were servants or washerwomen, so they were able to get out easily.

The streets of Camelot were slightly crowded. It was a cold day, and they hadn't eaten in a while, so they went to the food seller, where they bought warm ale, bread and cheese. As they sat with their backs against their wall eating, they heard the sound of hooves. "What in hell?" Catherine stood up.

Whispers flooded her ears.

"It's the Romans!"

"Lucius has arrived!"

"Princess Catherine will be so pleased!"

Catalina looked stunned. "Let's go!" She whispered.

"Right!"

The two girls sprinted down the horribly crowded streets. Everyone was in their way. One man shoved Catherine, earning him a whack from Catalina. The two began to get frantic. On the way back to the keep, Catalina grabbed an armload of clean linens. When they reached the gate, they silently showed the linens to the guards. They nodded and the girls ran inside.

On the way to Catherine's room, they passed Lancelot. "Lancelot, the Romans are here. Stall for time, please!" Catherine begged.

Lancelot shrugged. "Alright. I do far too many favors for you, Kate." He grinned at her.

"And I am eternally grateful. Now go!"

She and Catalina ran into Catherine's chambers. Catalina wasn't going to dine with them, so she didn't have to get ready. As Catherine searched for a dress, Catalina filled up Catherine's bathtub with water. Finally, the princess found something to wear and she leapt into the tub, scrubbing herself furiously.

"Where's Catherine? Lucius is almost here!" Guinevere paced around, nervously. She was still the beautiful woman that both Lancelot and Arthur had been enamored with. She still had raven hair and smooth skin. The years had not been so kind with Arthur. Some of his hair was grey and his face was getting wrinkles. He reached out and patted his wife on the shoulder.

"Relax, Gwen. I'm sure she's fine," he said. At that moment, ten men entered the room. Nine of them bore Roman standards. The tenth was Lucius. He was tall and fair-haired with a strong build and steel grey eyes. He looked at the King and Queen. His lips formed a smile.

"Ah, Artorius, Guinevere. It has been long since I saw you; you were only a boy, Artorius." He reached out and kissed Guinevere's hand. At that moment, Lancelot burst into the room.

"My lords and lady, the princess will be with us momentarily." He announced. Noticing Lucius, he bowed. "My Roman lord Lucius. It's a pleasure to meet you." He raised his eyes to Lucius' face. _How do they expect Kate to marry that? _Lancelot forced a smile.

Just then, footsteps were heard and everyone turned to see a girl. She had long hair that fell to her waist in raven waves; she was tall and slender and her face was very pale and lovely and her dress fell to the ground in pale blue folds. Her dark eyes lingered on Lucius for a moment before she curtsied "Hello, I am Princess Catherine. It is an honor to meet you, my lord. My father praises you highly." Inside, she was laughing at herself. _I sound like those idiots that fall over Lancelot and Galahad in the taverns._

"Well," Guinevere said, relieved that Catherine finally showed up, "let's go have dinner!"

In the course of fifteen years, Arthur had more knights come and go. Now there were eighteen: Lancelot, Galahad, Gawain, Bors, Tristan, Kay, Pellinore, Lamork, Turquine, Gareth, Gaheris, Agravaine, Carados, Palomides, Percival, Balin, Balan and Lucan. Lucan was now twenty-three and was a good fighter. Most of the other men were an upwards of thirty, but Lucan could best many at fighting.

In an instant, Catherine found herself wedged between Tristan and Palomides. She was never fond of Palomides, but she liked Tristan. She found him fascinating; he was so mysterious and strange. Then loud words disrupted her thoughts. "Artorius, why do you have a round table?"

Catherine piped up. "My father believes all men were created equal. So no one can sit at the head and seem more important." She smirked at Lucius. He smiled and leered at her.

"I don't like him." Tristan muttered.

Catherine looked at him. "Pardon?"

"I don't like that Roman."

"Nor do I, but I have no choice, Sir, but to marry him."

Later that night, after a rather uneventful dinner, Catalina told Catherine to run away. "If you don't want to wed him, then flee. Go to Avalon with you aunts. Leave this place. Don't worry, princess. I'll make something up to tell them."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now go!"

It was midnight when Catherine left the silent castle. She was dressed as a peasant and she left on her horse, Pelles. She had a bag full of food and clothes and her sword. She had never been to Avalon, so in her hands was a map. The clouds parted and the silver moonlight fell on her. _Oh, God.__ Please protect me._

It was a three days journey to Avalon. She didn't know what she would say to her aunts Morgaine and Morgause. She had never even met them. Her mother had met Morgaine once. She told Catherine that Morgaine was a kind, good woman. That was all she said. Morgaine was a Druid priestess who worshipped the goddess. But other than that, she knew nothing.

Near noon on the third day, she reached the edge of the Lake. It looked like blue tinted glass. Green trees were all around the side. It was lovely. "Thank you, Pelles, my loyal friend." She was pondering on how to get across, when three Saxons came out of the trees.

The Saxons were ugly brutes that Catherine heard about, but never really saw. They were fur clad and disgusting. "We have here lady!" One yelled. Catherine leapt off Pelles. Raising her sword, she hacked off the first one's arm. Silently, she thanked Lancelot for teaching her.

The man screamed and fell to the ground. The second and third ran at Catherine. The second, she killed with one stroke; she cut off his head. The third was large and wielded a sword. He swung it and caught Catherine in the arm. Warm blood gushed from the wound. She felt dizzy. She lifted her sword, but he got her again, in the stomach.

Catherine fell to the ground. The Saxon stood over her. She threw her sword at him and it struck him in the head. Catherine heard a loud thud, and the Saxon fell to the earth. Blood was everywhere. She touched her stomach wound and her hand turned red. Slowly, Catherine's surrounding faded to black and she fell unconscious.


End file.
